Tips & Info

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL BRIDES

Courtesy of the National Bridal Service
with additional content from Primadonna Bridals, Inc.

Bridal Discounts May Be Deceptive
Every bride wants the best price when purchasing her wedding gown. Be certain that you are comparing "apples to apples" when making your decision. A "discount" does not necessarily mean that you are saving money. Look at the "free services" that are included (or not included) in the price and the terms of payment. Be especially cautious of anyone who requires you to pay in full before ordering your dress.

"No Inventory" Dealers
Many discount offers come from part-time "gray market" dealers who have no dresses. Some call themselves a personal shopping service; but instead, they ask that you shop around and find the style you want and call them with the manufacturer's name, style number and your measurements. They order your dress, not from the manufacturer, but through a third party. You may have to pay shipping charges, the full amount before seeing your dress, find a seamstress, go to another location for fitting, and, in many cases, pay more for pressing and alterations than in a bridal store. When you add up all these extras, you would have probably paid less, and saved a great deal of time, by buying the dress from the bridal store that assisted you. Our advice, "If a dealer can't show you dresses to try on, don't show her your money."
 
Payment Requirements
Savvy brides should beware of discounters that require you to pay in full for your dress before they order it. They are saying, in essence, "We do not service what we sell. We do not guarantee the fit. We do not want to be responsible." Our advice: A bride should never pay in full before her dress is ordered.

800 Numbers and "The Internet"
It's smart to buy some things over the phone and the Internet, but not an item that requires measuring, fittings, alterations and professional pressing.

The following is a TRUE story. A bride had been in a full-service store looking for her wedding gown. She found what she wanted; however, she ordered it over the Internet as she found a source that would sell her the same gown for $100 less. After receiving her wedding gown: (1) in a small box, (2) dirty and (3) not the correct size, she is having to pay $250 for the necessary alterations and $175 to have the gown professionally cleaned and pressed. When she tried to phone the Internet business where she ordered the dress, their number had been changed to an "unpublished" number. In an article in USA Today, it was reported that shoppers were getting a poor deal from Internet retailers. The Consumers International research group ordered 151 items from various Internet sites. It found that one in ten items never arrived. You wedding gown is too important to take a chance.

National "Chains"
Many brides that buy from a national chain do so because they assume they will save money. It's our opinion that they do not. It's understandable how a bride could be confused, because a chain store may advertise $99 bridal gown sales and, like the leading 'mart store, proclaim, "We sell to the masses." However, unlike 'X'-Mart, some bridal chains only offer their own line of imported wedding gowns. They do not offer the designer wedding gowns featured in the bridal magazines. They sell the same style dress to many brides. It appears that they carry more styles than they actually do, because they stock many dresses of the exact same style. One of the comments that we hear is that a chain store may have styles that look similar to designer gowns, but the fabric is lower quality. Our advice: If there is ever a time when you deserve quality, it's your wedding day!

(Pssst!.....see our comparison page if you don't believe it.)

Full-Service Bridal Stores
Many full-service bridal stores offer their brides savings on shoe-dying, tuxedos, invitations, and gown preservation that far outweigh the so called "discount" being offered by others. These are owner-operated stores that specialize in assisting brides select their gowns. They encourage brides to try on various styles to find the perfect dress. They fit the style and offer alterations services. They press the gown, place it in a protective bag, and take responsibility for customer satisfaction. They feature nationally advertised designers and offer many different styles. The selection, service, and individual attention are big advantages. A bride also has the option of special ordering her gown or buying the one she tries on.

The Best Place To Buy Your Gown
We recommend that you buy your gown at the store that gives you the best service. Beware if the store cannot provide gowns to try on as well as assist you with your fitting, alterations, and pressing services. You can usually save time and money by doing it all at one place - with assurance that your satisfaction will be guaranteed.

Now that you've found your salon of choice, here are some basic tips to make your visit more pleasurable...

Bridal Salon Etiquette
Nothing is more frustrating to a new bride than to be told that "you need an appointment." Trust me, I know! However, in better salons an appointment is required for a number of reasons.

The #1 reason is because we, as specialists in our field, want to give each customer our undivided attention. The attention you deserve, especially when picking out something as special as your wedding gown. This is the difference between us and the national retail chains which are more interested in making their quota for the day and could care less about you and your wedding. You wouldn't appreciate going to the doctor and having him/her attending to another patient in the same room as you, or have him/her interrupted umpteen times while you wait in frustration. That may be an extreme analogy, but think about it. We want each customer to have personal attention and when shoppers enter a salon to simply kill time or arrive without an appointment thinking that the world will stop for them and their party of 12 and all their sisters..well, things can get a bit cramped to say the least. Which brings me to reason #2... space.

Better salons are usually small (2500 sq. ft or less) and that space fills fast with inventory! Add that to all the bodies running around to find the perfect gown and you have a recipe for flared tempers and a lot of frustrations. By scheduling an appointment, we can space out each customer so everyone has room to breathe and she can make her decisions while she is calm and happy. No one likes to be rushed. Also, keep in mind, the more gowns you look at and try on, the more confused you'll probably get. We prefer to show no more than 10 gowns, or for no longer than 2 hours. Any more or for any longer and you're bound to leave here more confused, more frustrated than when you arrived. We can and will do more, but encourage you to resist the temptation. We suggest, when trying on your gown, you limit your party to no more than 2 additional people to avoid multple opinions which will lead to more confusion and aggravation. It's your day, it's your gown, it should be your choice no matter what the opinions are. Also, if you have small children, please make arrangements to leave them with a sitter or relative. A bridal salon can be a dangerous place with unattended children running around, not to mention distracting to other customers.

Reason #3 is simply for staffing. We want to make sure there are enough specialists on hand to help with your selections and to answer all your questions with as little interruption as possible. Unfortunately, in the real world, you are not the only bride or customer, but we WANT to make you feel like you are! This is why appointments are appreciated. You can always call and ask if there is a time open and most salons will do their best to fit you in. We at Primadonna Bridals, Inc. offer after hours as a back up if we simply can't get you in during our normal hours of operation. But, we need to know your coming! Nothing is more frustrating to a shop owner than to find out that you made a drive from over 50 miles away, only to show up on the busiest day of the week or after closing time. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU! So please, take a moment to call prior to your visit, but if you're in the area and must stop in (as we do welcome you to do) please be courteous to the ladies who have scheduled appointments and keep your visit brief. We would be glad to schedule an appointment while you're visiting, and time permitting (and staff) we will try to fit you in. But please, don't be upset or discouraged if you're asked to reschedule. It will definitely be worth the wait!

Just a note...if you have scheduled an appointment and need to cancel or change it, always be courteous to let the salon know as soon as possible. There's always a bride waiting in the wings for a time slot to open up. And that bride may be you on another day.

Privacy
Your privacy is very important to us. Any and all information pertaining to your perchase is kept confidential. We will not disclose any information in regards to style, colors, prices, etc. to anyone other than the purchaser. Please do not ask your friends or family to stop by to view your gown as we will not show it to them or disclose this information without your consent. Your gown is special and should be kept "a secret" until you walk down the aisle. For coordinating your bridal party, please be present while making selections with them or present them with the information in advance. Confidentiality is our main priority.

Respect of Property
Bridal salons are very exclusive retailers. Our services and selections are costly, therefore we take special care in handling our merchandise. We hope you do the same. Most salons keep their merchandise in plastic bags making it difficult for the bride to view. We at Primadonna Bridals, Inc. do not. Our merchandise is in full view as so you may see, touch, and experience the beauty of each gown. We appreciate your handling the gowns as if they were all your own. A specialist is always on duty to help you with handling the gowns properly as so not to cause any damage or soiling. And as you would expect, there is no food or drink allowed in the salon.

Also, be respectful to the "serious" brides who have made appointments and are here to try on garments for their special day, as they are not playing "dress-up". You are more than welcome to come back once a wedding date has been set.

Please feel free to email us with the dates and times you'd like to stop in. In most cases, we answer every email within 24 hours or less, guaranteed! We are here because we love what we do, and we love being part of your most memorable moments! Lets work together to make them as pleasurable as possible!

Thank you for your patronage and support as we grow into the Finger Lakes best bridal and special occasion salon!

Rita Fullerton/President

Primadonna Bridals, Inc.